Tell Yunatsite

Tell Yunatsite

Селищна могила Юнаците
Tell Yunatsite, 2013
Shown within Bulgaria
Location	Pazardzhik, Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria
Coordinates	42°13′56″N 24°15′45″E / 42.23222°N 24.26250°E / 42.23222; 24.26250
Type	tell
Area	6 ha
Site notes
Public access	free

Tell Yunatsite (Bulgarian: Селищна могила Юнаците), also known as Ploskata mogila (Bulgarian: Плоската могила, "The Flat Mound"), is situated in the Pazardzhik Province of southern Bulgaria (Northern Thrace), some 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the west of the district capital Pazardzhik. The tell stands 12 metres (39 ft) above modern ground level and has a diameter of 110 m (360 ft). It is situated on a low terrace at the right bank of the former Topolnitsa riverbed near to its confluence with the Maritsa River (ca. 5 km or 3 mi away from the site). Medieval, Roman, Iron Age, Early Bronze Age, and Copper Age periods have all been attested at the site. The Copper Age tell is associated with the Karanovo culture.^[1]

Parallel to the Maritsa River on the Pazardzhik plain lays the so-called Via Diagonalis, one of the most important ancient European roads, which passes through the Balkans and connects West and Central Europe to Anatolia and the Near East. The former road bears witness to the rich history and importance of the region. The plain slants from west to east (300 m to 100 m asl.) and is bordered by the Sredna Gora Mountains to the north and northwest, the Rhodope Mountains to the south, and Rila Mountains to the southwest. The surrounding alpine terrain is significant because it affects the microclimate of the region making it slightly colder during the winters in comparison with the other regions of Northern Thrace.